The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley in ten volumes |
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OLD MAN'S NURSERY RHYME |
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 | The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley |  |
1229
OLD MAN'S NURSERY RHYME
In the jolly winters
Of the long-ago,
It was not so cold as now—
Oh! No! No!
Then, as I remember,
Snowballs to eat
Were as good as apples now,
And every bit as sweet!
Of the long-ago,
It was not so cold as now—
Oh! No! No!
Then, as I remember,
Snowballs to eat
Were as good as apples now,
And every bit as sweet!
In the jolly winters
Of the dead-and-gone,
Bub was warm as summer,
With his red mitts on,—
Just in his little waist-
And-pants all together,
Who ever heard him growl
About cold weather?
Of the dead-and-gone,
Bub was warm as summer,
With his red mitts on,—
Just in his little waist-
And-pants all together,
Who ever heard him growl
About cold weather?
In the jolly winters
Of the long-ago—
Was it half so cold as now?
Oh! No! No!
Who caught his death o' cold,
Making prints of men
Flat-backed in snow that now's
Twice as cold again?
Of the long-ago—
Was it half so cold as now?
Oh! No! No!
1230
Making prints of men
Flat-backed in snow that now's
Twice as cold again?
In the jolly winters
Of the dead-and-gone,
Startin' out rabbit-huntin'
Early as the dawn,—
Who ever froze his fingers,
Ears, heels, or toes,—
Or'd 'a' cared if he had?
Nobody knows!
Of the dead-and-gone,
Startin' out rabbit-huntin'
Early as the dawn,—
Who ever froze his fingers,
Ears, heels, or toes,—
Or'd 'a' cared if he had?
Nobody knows!
Nights by the kitchen stove,
Shellin' white and red
Corn in the skillet, and
Sleepin' four abed!
Ah! the jolly winters
Of the long-ago!
We were not as old as now—
Oh! No! No!
Shellin' white and red
Corn in the skillet, and
Sleepin' four abed!
Ah! the jolly winters
Of the long-ago!
We were not as old as now—
Oh! No! No!
| The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley | |